Anchor



Aug. 18, 1931. 1 r. lanKENMAIERy I 1,819,762

ApcaoR i Filed Jupe 30. l192'1 E 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1931. T. BIRKENMAIER ANCHOR Filed June so, 192':r

2 A Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES,

PAT-ENT- QFPICE rnnonoan srnxnuiuma, or sr. Louis, Missouri, .sssieivoa row. N. mrr'rnfnws consensuale, or ser. Leurs, iussocm, n coaromrion or mssouar i xenon `Application med June 30,

This invention relates to anchors and with regard to certain more specific features, to ground anchors such as are used for holding guy wires and the like. `Among the several objectsv of this invention may be noted the provision of an im# proved'and more compact expanding groun'd anchor adapted to be opened bythe application of blows from a separatev tool; the rolo vision of an anchor ofthe classfdescri ed,

h aving expandin dukes adapted to be positively locked in t eir expanded holding posi'- tions the provision of an anchor of the class described incorporating in its construction .15 the combined advantages of simplicity of operation and construction, ruggedness of.

finished product, a minimum number of working parts, and economy. l

Other objects will be inhpart obvious and in art pointed out hereinafter.

he invention accordingly comprises the,

. elements and combination of. elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated taining cotter-pin 15, holds a luke17 so that in the following claims. v

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated two of various possible embodi'ments of the invention,

Fig. l is an ideal side elevation, partly in sectlon, of an assembled anchor shown within a hole, the anchor being shown in a retracted solid-line position and a dotted-line locked and expanded position; I Fig. 2 is a plan view et the anchor in eX- panded position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing one of the ulresv off the anchor;

ication, shown closed;

Fig. 5 is a plan View showing the -nicdiiication open;A and t Fig.. 6 is' a side elevatinn ci one of the modiiied dukes showing an .alternative position in dotted Corresponding reference numerals indicate correspondin parts throughout the several views of the rawings. l

Referring now more particularly to Fig.

Fig. d is a partial side elevation of a noodi-` p i927. serial No. 202,531. A

1, there is illustrated at numeral 1 a round or similar hole which is du into the ground in the usual manner for t e placement of anchors of the general class hereindescribed. The general contour of the present anchor, before expansion, is round so that it mayr fit this hole more or less properly but it is to be understood that it may be square or of other suitable contour. The anchoris adapted to hold a tie rod 3 in place, said tie Irod being of the classA adapted to be coupled to guy wires or the like. l f

Referring toboth Figs. l and 2, the numeral 5 indicates a more or less 'flat circular body portion or collar having au opening 7 through its center, the opening being used to slidably receive the shank of said tie-rod 3. Cast integrally around the circumference of said body. or collar 5 are a plurality of pairs of projecting ears 9. Itl is understood that the lnuimber of these pairs of ears need not be definitely set at five,;but, for the purposes .of illustration, thisI number is used througlh,

it is pivoted radially on this bolt. yBoth the top and bottom of said collar 5 are substantially Hat.

` At the-end of the tie-rod 3 is placed a spreader disc or plate 19 through the center l of which is formed a `hole 21. .The tie-rod passes loosely through this hole. The tierod 3 is also threaded at its lower end, and a nut 23, screwed on to this tie-rod, prevents the spreader disc 19 and the collar 5 from slipping from the rend of `the rod.v The spreader disc 19 has formed in its bottom a recess 25 adapted to accommodate thenut @0 '23. The edges of disc 19 are rounded, and

, the cross-section in Fig. 1,that is, acainining portion 27 and in addition to provide a means for camming or moving the ilukes 17 with respect to the part 5. As can be seen in the drawings, said mid-rib has a cam-shaped edge 31, the purpose of whichwill be explained hereinafter. At its upper edge said mid-rib 29 is provided with a notch 33 and at the very top it is circular in shape. A hole 35 is formed in the circular portion, through position (as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1). p

Collar 5 and disc 19 should not and cannot be placed far enough apart so that the outer edges of the iukes will rest upon the top of the disc 19, because the noses 34 at the notches 33 prevent it. The result is a positive alignment of the linkes. In this position the flukes are secured by tying them with apiece of twine or wire 37. lThis is done to keepv the flukes in their retracted and aligned position, until the anchor is placed in the hole 1. The twine or wire can be easily broken. The tying procedure is not absolutely essential to the operation of the device.

The anchor is next placed in the holel in the earth. It will assume a position shown in Fig. 1,;(solid lines). A tool 39 is then hammered upon the upper surface of collar 5. A sharp blow is suiicient to break the retaining'twine or wire 37 after which the iukes are; forced outward as a result of the action of the blows combined with the action of the edge of disc 19 onthe cam .surface 31 of the dukes. Little force isneeded to drive the iiukes into the earth and repeated blows with the tool 39 drive the `flukes farther into the earth. Y

Finally, as the tamping or hammering continues, the iiukes are driven so far apart that the edge 18 of disc 19 has reached the end of the cam surfaces 31. Another. single blow suiiices to carry the edge of the disc past the cam surface and lie in position to be engaged bythe notches 33, as soon as a slight upward pull is given to the tie-rod 3. In this manner the flukes lock themselves in an opened position, securely anchored in the earth. The

c hole 1 is now filled,and the guy wire aiiixed to tie-rod 3.

In Figs. 4 to 6 is shown a modified form of the invention havingcertain improved features. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it may be seen that this form comprises a collar 41 slidably supported on the anchor rod 3 and 0i carrying sots of cnrs 43, similar to the ears 9,

- purposes.

to which Vare pivoted five dukes 45.4 in the previous form, the lower end of the -anchor rod 3 carries a disc member 47 for enga g camming surfaces 49 on the bottoms o the iiukes (see also Fig. 6).

The upper surfaces of the linkes are provided with webbing 50 for strengthening One of the advantages of the modified form rests in the fact that the flukes are given a curvature as illustrated at 51, whereby, when said lukes .are driven from their` solid line position (Fig. 6), to their dotted line positlon, the take a path which is of such shape that eacli iiuke is forced into the ground with minimum elort. This is because the leading edge 53 of each fluke cuts a path in the earth into which the successive portions of said fluke place themselves, instead of pushing the earth aside with a comonent of sideward thrust. This shape of fluke is also desirable, because it provldes a better ip in the soil after the anchor vhas been p aced, inasmuch as the curvature is concave upward. Also the holding pro erties of the soil are not weakened by the uke tearing and crushing said soil.

The modified form of fluke is alsoproo en.

pThe ukes 45 of 'the modified form are also provided with re-entrant edges 57 having an irregular contour such that juxtaposed edges of successive fiukes on the anchorwill intermesh to provide as small a closed anchor core 59 as it is possible to get with the given amount of expansion. The edges 57 consist of projections 61 and bi hts 63 so arranged that a projection on one uke intermeshes lwith a bight on the 'uxta osed fluke when in closed (position. I'he s a es of the projections an bights are such t at no interference is had during the closing and opening operations. It will be seen from the drawings that on each fluke a bight on one edgeL is located opposite a projection on the other edge. It is apparent l that by this It is also to be noted that the advantages of the small closed anchor may be attained by special shapes on .the fluke edges which will engage to permit the formation of a substantially closed, hollow bell shape when the flukes are closed (Fig. 4), juxtaposed fluke edges effecting closure, as in the example set out above. ,l

Another novel feature of the modified form, which may also be used in conjunction with the first form is that the rivets 65 which loosely pass through the ears 43 and hold the linkes in position are of such length that the tail or body 67 of each one interferes Leia-rea with the head 69 of the next one when they j are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 5.

I-Iencel the rivets cannot fall out, though only one cotter key 71 is used in one of the rivets. This is because the eotter lrey 71 retains the one rivet in such position that its tail pre# vents substantial movement of the next rivet and consequently of all the rivets. When the cotter Akey is removed, all of the rivets may be movedinto such positions that they will leave the ears 4:3 and thereby permit removal of the dukes..

The operation of the modied formv is analogous to that of the form hereinbefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as il- /lustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. The anchor comprising juxtaposed pivoted ukes adapted to be opened and closed and re-entrant edges on said iiukes adapted to intermesh when the dukes are in closed position. K

2. The anchor comprising juxtaposed pivoted flukes adapted to be opened and closed by moving them toward and from a spreader dlsc, re-entrant edges on said ukes adapted to intermesh when the lukes are in closed posltion, saidflukes having curvatures such that successive portions of the iukes follow substantially in the paths initially out by' `their leading edges.

3. In an anchor 'the provision of a spreader on a shank, a collar movable -withrespect to the spreader having lukes 'pivoted thereto adapted' to engage said spreader and means for ivoting the linkes comprising pivot intermesh when the lukes are closed, said edges comprising projections and bights.

6. The anchor comprising juxtaposed pivoted iiukes adapted to be o ened and closed, re-entrant edgeson said ukes adapted to intermesh when the flakes are closed, said edges comprising projections and bights, a bight being located opposite a projection on the opposite edge of the duke on which both are located.

7. The anchor comprising juxtaposed pivoted dukes adapted to be o ened-and closed, re-entrant edges on said ukes adapted to intermesh when the dukes are closed, said ed-ges comprising projections and bights, a bight being located opposite a projection on the opposite edge of the fluke on which both are located and all of the linkes having sub- 1 f stantially the same shape whereby they may be made from a single pattern.A

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 16th day of June, 1927.

rnnononn BIRKENMAIER.

mem rs arranged so as to interfere with one another when one is locked in a' predetermined position, whereby they cannot be removed and not "to interfere when said one pivot member is unlocked.

4.-. In an anchor the provision of means for pivoting juxtaposed lukes comprising- Vvpivot members arranged so as to interfere wlth one another when one is locked in a predetermined position so that they cannot hey removed an not to interfere when said one pivot member is unlocked. j 5. The. anchor comprising juxtaposed pivoted iukes adapted to be o ned and closed, re-entrant edges on said ukes adapted to izo 

